Lock housing for screws or bolts



ATTO R N Filed Nov. 10 1921 Mar. 6, 1923.

' O A NORLUND ET AL LOCK HOUSING FOR SCREWS OR BOLTS WITNESS E Patented Mar. 6, ll 92.3.

an onion LOCK HOU SING FOR SCREWS OR BOLTS.-

Application filed November 10, 1921. Serial No. 514,362.

To all whom it mwgg concern:

Be it known that we, OLor A. NoRLUND and FRANK OEHRLI, citizens of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Lock Housing for Screws and Bolts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lock housings for screws and bolts.

The object is to provide a metallic housing of strength and durability for'protecting the heads of bolts or screws or nuts and preventing their removal by any one not provided with the proper key for the purpose, the said housing preventing the application of an ordinary-wrench or other tool.

Another object is to provide a device of this character wherein the head of the bolt or screw or the nut, as the case may be, serves 'to hold the housing in place, with the open end of the housing in projecting relation thereto, and permitting only the introduction of the key which is provided with interfitting parts for coaction with similar parts of the bolt head or nut, the said interfitting features of the device being capable of wide variation so that the danger of one device being operable by the key in possession ofanothe-r party is reduced'to a minimum.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forminga part of this specification; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding par s throughout the several figures s Fig. 1 is? an elevation'of a portion of' a spare tire for automobiles, held by any suitable form, of holder and showing the improved housing in connectlon with the latter.

Fig. 2 is anenlarged detail vertical section through the lower portion of the holder having the improved housing mounted thereon and illustrating the manner of engaging the rim of the spare tire.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the removable operating key.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the engaged by bolt-head.

Fig. is a displayed view, in perspective, of the parts of the device, partly in section.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

While the improved lock housing has been illustrated in connection with a holder for spare tires for automobiles which'are usually placed at the back of a machine, and has means for supporting and displaying tags, etc., it is to beunderstood that the invention may be psed to equal advantage elsewhere to prevent the unauthorized removal of a screw or bolt having a head shaped for the rece tion of a wrench or a nut corresponding y formed.

The invention comprises three parts or members including a specially formed bolt or screw head or nut therefor, an open-ended housing or sleeve having an inwardly-directed flange at one end for engagement with the head or nut, and a removable, openparts being the key to unscrew the nut or ended, tubular key adapted to slide into the I housing and to surround the head or nut and having interfitting parts to coact with interfitting parts of the head or nut to forcibly turn the latter to tighten or loosen the same, the outer end of .the removable key being provided with a polygonal exterior to be engaged by an ordinary wrench beyond the open end of the housing, to provide for the necessary pressure to accomplish such turning action. When-the tightening or loosening has been accomplished, it is only necessary to withdraw the key from the housing, when-the head or nut is effectively guarded from tampering by a Wrench 01' other tool, as the head or nut is so shaped as to prevent the use of a chisel, screw-driver or drift punch to turn the same by hammering or driving.

In Fig. l of the drawing, there is illustrated a portion of a spare tire A having the usual rim B and held in any customary manner in a holder C, all of which forms no part of the invention. The holder usually employs a downwardly-extending arm D reaching to the lowermost point of the tire and provides, at that point, a rear abutment E for the rim of the wheel to bear against and forming a part of an enlargement F coacting with a clamping finger or, plate G, which is adapted to be held by a bolt H threaded into the enlargement F, and usually having an ordinar nut applied to the outer threaded end to ind the lower end of said finger or plate in clamping relation to the outer edge of the tire rim.

The nut 1, in the present instance, has lts bore threaded to fit the exposed end of the bolt H, and is'provided, at its inner face, with a reduced, cylindrical extension 2, thus providing an annular channel 3 for a purpose to be explained. The outer or front end of the nut 1 has its marginal corner rounded as at ,4, thus preventing any attempt to turn the nut in either direction by drifting in a well-known manner, the enlarged portion of the nut, or that having the greatest diameter, being perfectly round as well as the inturned flange the extended part 2.

A plurality of longitudinally-disposed grooves 5 are formed in the said enlarged portion and extend from the front rounded corner thereof to the annular channel 3 and while, in the present instance, only two of said grooves have been shown in a certain spaced relation to each other, it is to be understood that more than two of such grooves riphery of the nut, and that they may be equally spaced apart if desired, or such spacing may be unequal.

A guard sleeve or housing '6 preferably formed by stamping some suitable gage of sheet steel into shape, is adapted to be held by the nut'l, the said sleeve being open at its front end and having, at its rear end, an inwardly-directed flange 7 whose inner wall is adapted to fit freely over the extension 2 of the nut, \the sairllkbextension being substantially equal in le th to the thickness of the sleeve, so that when the nut is turned p tightly against the outer face of the clampfn plate or finger G, the sleeve 6 is also clampedinto place in surrounding relation to the nut.

The internal diameter of the sleeve 6 is considerably greater than the outer diameter of the enlarged portion of the nut, and provides ample space for the introduction of the open, inner socket end 8 of a tubular key 9, preferably formed of metal similar to the sleeve 6, and having an internal shoulder 10 and the outer or front portion of the bore 11 of somewhat smaller diameter than the socket 8. The front marginal edge of the sleeve is preferably rounded to facilitate the introduction of the peripheral wall of the socket, whose edge is also preferably rounded for the same purpose, and the key may be employed around the pe has its outer end formed or pressed into an exterior polygonal head 12 for the application of an ordinary wrench for a purpose to be explained.

A series f longitudinal grooves 13, formed by pressing the metal inwardly, are

provided at the inner, socket end of the key,

abuts against the inner wall of the flange 7 of the housing, whereupon a wrench may be applied to the polygonal head 12 and the nut removed from the bolt H or applied thereto, as the case'may be.

In applying the improved housing, the latter may be first applied to the exposed end of the bolt H as shown in Fig. 5, when the nut 1, after being seated in the socket end of the key 9, may be applied to the end I of the bolt and by the use of a wrench, the

desired tension may be obtained.

From the foregoing, it willbe seen that a simple, easily operated and cheaply manufactured housing for the heads of securing elements, such as bolt heads, screw heads or nuts has been provided, which will effectively preventthe surreptitious removal of nuts, from spare tire holders, or from similar places, and that by reason of the interlocking features provided on the nut and the key, the device is susceptible of great variation to provide different combinations for a large number of purchasers. The combination of the rounded head of the securing element seated within the circular housing with a limited space :between the head and the housing and of that portion of the housing which extends above the said head, prevents unauthorized manipulation of the head by any tool save the specially constructed key.

What is claimed is A lock for the circular head of a securing element, comprising a tubular sleeve open at one end and having an inturned flange at the other end and of greater internal diameter than the diameter of said head, the said head having an annular channel at the inner end for the reception of said flange of the sleeve to clamp the latter in place, and that portion of the head beyond the channel being provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves spaced apart and extending from the front face thereof to the annular channel, and a removable, tubular key having a III polygonal head at one end and an opening inwardly directed longitudinal ribs to fit the grooves of the head to turn the same k when a wrench is applied to the polygonal head which projects from the open end of the sleeve, said sleeve being extended sulficiently beyond the head of the securing element and cooperating with the rounded head to prevent unauthorized manipulation of OLOF A. NORLUN D. FRANK OEHRLI. 

